


Mental Battle ~ Asagiri Gen vs. Shishio Tsukasa

by Gengerorin



Series: Dr. STONE Light Novel Vol.2: Speak Towards the Future [1]
Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Canon, Post-Petrification, Pre-petrification, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25128391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gengerorin/pseuds/Gengerorin
Summary: Dr. STONE Light Novel vol. 2 FAN TRANSLATION. This chapter is about Asagiri Gen and Shishio Tsukasa's first time meeting one another as well as their interactions as the broadcast game progresses, while Ukyo and his seniors watch through the TV.
Series: Dr. STONE Light Novel Vol.2: Speak Towards the Future [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820242
Comments: 13
Kudos: 95





	Mental Battle ~ Asagiri Gen vs. Shishio Tsukasa

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own this content and all of the copyrights go to the original Dr. STONE creator Inagaki Ryuichi and writer Morimoto. This is nothing but a fan translation, so there are errors and there are areas that I was not able to perfectly translate. That being said, I did my very best to stay true to the original source while making this a legible reading experience. I have footnotes incorporated throughout the chapter, so please refer to the end notes to see what those are about. If there is anything that is confusing, just leave me a message and I will do my best to explain.

In the dark ocean where light does not reach, Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force Saionnji Ukyo spends his livelihood listening for sounds.

  
So, at least when he was on land, Ukyo wanted to rest his ear in the tranquil silence. And that wish he makes while riding the submarine, was currently being cruelly crushed by the piercing fanfar that came from the television.

  
“MenBato~ The Mental Battle to test the strength of the heart! The competition of the century!! Mentalist vs. Top Athletes~!!”

  
If this was his own room, Ukyo would have turned off the television in seconds. However, according to the regulations, as a single officer, he was to live in the base dorms. And according to those same regulations, the muscle man in the room was Ukyo’s senior.

  
“Um…..”

“Ukyo, this is really entertaining so let’s watch it together!”

Ukyo’s plea was crushed before it could be formed into words. This senior was the senior of the physical exercise department. The chance to ‘fight over the remote’ did not exist here. Unable to rebel and unable to refuse because Ukyo was invited to “watch it together”, the fate of Ukyo’s post dinner plans were now dedicated to this special program.

(Actually…..)

There was still a chance. In this room there was one more man. He also happened to be the oldest in this room. If he voiced his opinion against watching such a program, based off of the superior law of the seniority system, he could put an end to this. Ukyo sent the senior glances as a plea for help.

“..... I’m, going to go jog for a bit”

Ukyo’s scheme had been once again expelled like a thin fog before it could even be formed into words. The reserved and stoic senior, without even giving the television a glance, began to carefully retie the strings of his shoes. Ukyo gave up and faced the television.

“The man this show cannot start without! The winner of 24 consecutive ‘MenBato’ battles! The one who holds the title, ‘Master of the Mind’.....”

As the male and female moderators continued to speak, a man in a flashy suit was introduced. The young man who was wearing a set of well-polished gleaming shoes turned to the audience in the studio to flash them a pleasant smile. Ukyo read the caption that appeared on the screen.

“’Mentalist Asagiri Gen’.....”

He had at least heard of that name before. Plus, the word, ‘Mentalist’ was often used in the title of drama.

“Is this the man who’s specialized in psychology and behavior analysis?”

“Yeah? Though he’s usually just doing magic tricks on TV.”

For what purpose, thought Ukyo. Maybe to build an on-television character. During that quick conversation, the superior senior finished tying his shoelaces and, without giving a glimpse to the television, stood up from his bed and placed his hand on the door knob.

“And gathered for tonight’s special is an extravagant cast of guests! Introducing three of the greatest athletes!! To start, the first one has received the nickname ‘The Strongest High School Primate’ ‘The King of a Hundred Beasts’......."

The sound of a door opening never reached Ukyo, no matter how much time passed. Instead he heard the nearing sounds of the senior’s heavy footsteps. Wondering what was going on, Ukyo turned around.

“Have you forgotten something?”

The senior, without answering, lowered himself to sit on the bed.

“...... I’m, gonna watch too.”

How rare for this man to have any interest towards a television program. Ukyo returned to look at the screen. This boy was probably the reason why. A long haired teenager with a similar suit gave the camera a gentle smile.

“He’s been showing up a lot recently. Though I can’t honestly say that he is the variety type. He’s been getting through them rather flawlessly but, it’s almost like the world he lives in is different to begin with.”

“...... There probably is a reason for it all. Plus, you can see that his body has been well trained.”

Letting the conversation between the two senior’s slip by, Ukyo silently read the caption that appeared on the screen.

(‘Shishio Tsukasa’ ......)

Ukyo was well aware who he was. Just within the the Self-Defense Force alone, Shishio  
Tsukasa was a much more well known name than Asagiri Gen. While being a high schooler, he was the final winner in a mixed martial arts tournament, and since then, excluding the battles after his immediate debut, he has never suffered a loss. And as long as the seniors think that, everyone is a fan of this handsome fighter.

The taste of the curry that he had eaten in the cafeteria was still in his mouth. Today is Friday. The golden time right after dinner. Asagiri Gen vs. Shishio Tsukasa. Mentalist vs. the Invincible Fighter.

Three boys having their eyes glued to a screen could be considered shameful and careless, but without a doubt, this program was the program to be tuning in at the moment.

~~~

On the day of the “MenBato” recording, Shishio Tsukasa was in the waiting room of the broadcasting station, having his well-proportioned face patted with some strange smelling powder.

“Really-, your skin is very white.”

The makeup staff said what felt like flattery.

No matter how long he was there, he could not get used to any of this. Rather than feeling the soft hairs of the makeup brush, he honestly thought a punch that passed his glove defence and landed straight into his face would have been more calming.

It was under his own request that he was to be sent to these television programs for exposure, but between the time Tsukasa entered the dressing room to the moment he left to begin the recording, he always felt this way. The him that appears in the mirror was already made for the camera, but the weighing feeling that he did not ‘belong’ was stuck in his heart.

However, that feeling was tamer today, compared to other days. The reason for that was because of the presence of the guests by his side, who were also getting their faces patted with powder. Veteran Baseball athlete Tamashiro and currently the fastest Track and Field Runner Adachi. Their muscular bodies were stuffed into unfamiliar suits just like him, and since all three could be considered to be top athletes, it was much more relaxing to have a conversation with them compared to other television guests.

“Strawberry milk” “Cocoa for me” “I don’t have any preference of flavor……”

To Tsukasa’s words, the Track and Field athlete Adachi let out a loud voice of disbelief.

“Are you for real Tsukasa-kun!? Don't you kinda hate, stomaching in that yucky protein drink?”

“Well, I don’t……”

“Wait, are you by chance poor Tsukasa-kun?”

“Adachi-kun, don’t you think you’re talking too much?”

Towards Adachi’s careless mouth, the baseball athlete gave a warning like a senior would. Adachi’s thin body shrank back in response to the warning from the senior, who was the most dominating member out of the three.

“Oh, I’m very sorry Tamashiro-san…… You too Tsukasa-kun.”

“It’s alright…....”

Tsukasa gave a soft chuckle to the sight of Adachi sincerely lowering his head. The fact that he was poor was true, and the way it was bluntly brought up was something that did not happen anymore. After he became famous, the people interested in Tsukasa’s growing value increased, so to him, this careless act was much more preferable.  
Compared to the effort of having an uncomfortable conversation with celebrities he was not fond of, it was much easier to have this unchanging conversation about muscles with people who build themselves physically to survive in this world.

While Tsukasa was appreciating that feeling, the two had finished putting on makeup and Tamashio had already left the room. There was an explainable reason why Tsukasa was taking more time to finish.

“Well- you’re hair sure is something impressive.”

The makeup stylist was sweating as they desperately struggled to fix the hair that reached Tsukasa's back. Short haired Adachi, who was playing on his phone, said a guised jest while laughing, “Tsukasa-kun, since it’s a good opportunity, why don’t you just get your hair cut?”

~~~

By the time the long hair was finally done being prepared, the sound of the waiting room door opening was heard. At the same time, a lively voice pierced through. It is not Tamashiro’s. Tsukasa prepared himself for all of the possible contingencies.

“Gen-chan. We’re pending-de on you today as well~. And after this is all over we’ll have the party in za-gin alright~.”

“The shi-su at that place is eriously-say licious-de~. I’m looking forward to it~ D-chan.”

“And of course I’ll call over lots of etty-pre man-wo~. Do look forward to it~.”

“Looks like I can expect it to be an azy-cra night~. mazing-ay girls please~”

…… Tsukasa could not help but feel ridiculed that he had mentally prepared himself to listen to such a conversation. Adachi had already returned his focus back to his phone after staring at the intruder.

Tsukasa searched for the source of the voice using the mirror in front of him. One of the men was someone who he had met during a previous appointment. The director of the “Menbato”. And the other, if he remembered correctly, was the co-star. Asagiri, Gen.

“Well oh well. Are you perhaps…… Shishio Tsukasa-chan?”

After the director had left, Gen asked in a questionably loud voice, as he walked towards Tsukasa. He was unable to move his head because he was in the middle of getting his makeup done, so naturally, the two met eyes through the mirror.

“............ Yes. And you must be, Asagiri Gen.”

All it took was one glance. The man who appeared in the mirror, was a totally different species as a person.

Just by considering age, Gen was probably more similar to Tsukasa than the two athletes. However, the nature of character between the two were basically polar opposites. Tsukasa and the athletes had built up their personality and had achieved victories to keep surviving. Compared to that, this man named Asagiri Gen was……

Gen had been keeping a pleasant smile on his face the entire time. He had been talking in a tone that was soothing. He had been stringing together sentences with words that were gratifying to the listener. This man was having a conversation with Adachi with ease, even though this was likely their first time meeting. Rather than building a personality from within, it was likely that Gen was developing one from an outsider's perspective.

Of course that was not because of the simple reason of him being a people pleaser, or him being attractive. If that were the case, those expressions and movements of his would still be too inadequate to explain how ‘flawless’ they were. His guise was one that was perfected to achieve clear purpose and intentions.The way Tsukasa as a fighter knew how to stand his ground, Gen too, was well knowledged in doing the same in a completely different field. Not with fists, but by using a much softer weapon; he was a master of slaughtering his opponents. That was the impression Tsukasa got from the man he was watching through the mirror.

“Hey hey, Asagiri-kun. Do a trick.”

Right about when Tsukasa finished getting his makeup done, Adachi was already thoroughly roped in by Gen’s conversational skills. To his new fan’s request, Gen gave him a natural smile.

“Okay~. But I don’t have anything prepared cause I changed for the program~.”

“Haha, is that even something you can tell me?”

“Let’s keep it off record alright….. Oh, but, it seems like there are conveniently some cards right here~.”

In Gen’s palm, a deck of cards had suddenly appeared.

“Wow! When did you put that there!?”

While Gen was looking through his clothes in a flashy manner, he, by utilizing Adachi’s blind spot, pulled out the deck from his sleeve. Tsukasa had watched it all happen by using the mirror, but he was not going to dampen the mood by bringing that up.

“As always to start……”

While saying that in a suggestive manner, Gen began shuffling the deck. The way he elegantly shuffled and handled the cards had even left Tsukasa mesmerized. He understood that this was probably an aspect of the show.  
The deck would be separated into several piles, then with Gen’s graceful handiwork, would be brought back together to form a single deck. In the middle, Adachi was given the opportunity to shuffle as well, and when the deck was well shuffled, Gen removed the three cards at the top and placed them faced down on the table of the makeup mirror.

“It’s a game to guess the number on the card ♪ I think I’ll have the first card picked for me.”

Listening to the request, Adachi timidly ended up pointing at the card in the middle. Gen handed that card over to Adachi.

“What about you Tsukasa-chan?”

Still seated, Tsukasa chose the card closest to him. By handing that card over, Gen took the last card into his own hands.

“I’ll immediately start guessing then. The card that Adachi-chan selected is…… 9 of Diamonds!”

Adachi let out a gasp. The card he had selected was the same to Gen’s clairvoyant guess.

“That’s amazing Asagiri-kun!! You’re right!!”

Adachi gazed at Gen with the same innocence of that of a child. During that time, Tsukasa examined his card.

‘Damage’ can become ‘recognizable’, or become a ‘marker’ for that matter. To Adachi, he was given first pick, but to Tsukasa, it did not look like he was. Being inconspicuous was also a sign of being too aware.

During the previous shuffle, Gen had given Adachi the opportunity to shuffle as well, thus giving a sense of equal footing. However, with Gen’s exceptional skills, he could have easily put back cards during the second shuffle that he had pulled out during the first. After all, it was a deck that was pulled out of a sleeve. It would not be groundbreaking if he was able to do the same with three cards.

And the reason why he gave Adachi the opportunity to choose his own card out of the three, was to give Adachi the illusion of him having control. Letting him first shuffle, then be the first to choose out of the three options. Without a doubt it would thin the fog of suspicion if he was involved in the process. Tsukasa interpreted this as the mental magic of the Mentalist.

“To follow, I’m going to guess Tsukasa-chan’s. Ace of Hearts! And?”

“Yup, you’re correct.”

Swallowing down everything in his chest that tried to surface, Tsukasa turned over the card. Of course the number was correct, and so, without hesitating, Adachi let out a voice of exclamation.

“Well, that’s really the end of it. …… By the way.”

Gen chuckled as he attentively studied Tsukasa’s hand that was returning the card.

“Tsukasa-chan, do you by chance fight with not just your fists but also with a weapon? Like, for example…… A sword.”

The opened fist slightly stopped out of surprise. Sensing a discomfort surrounding his body, Tsukasa eyes widened.

“That….. Is right. I haven’t officially stated it on television or during performances though. Is this another part of your magic?”

“So I was right? I look at a lot of people’s hands so~. I’m able to tell just by looking.”

It was obvious as soon as Gen said that. He probably noticed the calluses that had formed from wielding the bamboo sword. Rather than this being a hidden attack, all that was revealed was the existence of Tsukasa’s interest towards weapons. It was only that. But……

“But listen~, this might have become a really good discovery~. Cause you know-”

The expression of the man in the mirror suddenly changed.

“The face Tsukasa-chan makes when surprised, I got to see it all~.”

Bright eyes that Tsukasa had never seen, sparkled. At that moment, Tsukasa had acknowledged his disadvantage. Without a doubt he, with the palm of his own hand, had revealed a hidden part of himself.

“This might become good information when making judgments for ‘next time’~. I’m looking forward to it, Tsukasa-chan.”

At the same time this declaration of war like comment was said, a voice from outside called for Gen. After Gen gave a kind farewell to those around and left the room, Tsukasa let out a deep sigh.

Basically, Gen was seeing through Tsukasa from the very start. The fact that Tsukasa was observing and seeing past Gen’s guise, was already being perceived by Gen. When

Tsukasa had been gazing into the abyss, the abyss was gazing right back into him.

Gen had come to the conclusion that Tsukasa was not just a ‘guest’. Because of that conclusion, that expression provoking for a challenge had surfaced. Of course, Tsukasa did not think Gen was revealing his true self here either. At worst, it was one of the many guises that he had prepared. He was seriously, a man with no foreseeable limits.

And that man had made a discovery using a part of the inside of Tsukasa’s hand. As Gen said, this might influence the outcome of the ‘next time’.

The ‘MenBato’ will be starting it’s recording soon. And during then, Tsukasa was going to have to face that Mentalist, and convincingly lie to him.

~~~

“‘MenBato’ is a battle of the minds peering into one another……. Our challengers must sneak by the master’s questions, keeping the numbers of their own cards hidden……”

“It seems like the basic rules are just ‘Hit & Blow’.”

Ukyo said out loud to confirm while listening to the rules of the game.

‘Hit & Blow’ is a game where individual players decide how to order their given four cards, which the answerer has to guess both number and order. It seemed like they were going to use a deck of cards for the game.

“So if it is a Hit, then a [O] will appear, and if it is a Blow, a [ ⃤ ] will appear…...”

The answerer must start the game without any information and uncover the numbers as they go. Of course, the possibility of one correctly guessing on the first try is realistically zero. The process of developing your information by using the O’s and △’s that are revealed at the end of each round was what the game Hit & Blow was about.

Depending on the answerer’s guess, all Hits and Blows will be revealed, Hits being when both the number and the placement is correct, and a Blow being when the number is correct but the placement is not.

For example, if the player orders their cards as [1 2 3 4], and the answerer guesses [1 2 4 5], it will be revealed that there are 2 Hits and 1 Blow. In the MenBato, that information will show up as [O2 △1]. However, just because 2 [O] show up, there is no way to confirm that the correctly guessed numbers are [1 2]. Nonetheless, by repeating this cycle, the answerer will be able to close in on the correct numbers and placement.

Of course, just guessing without limitations would be no fun. Since it is a game, to make it competitive, victory will be determined by whether the answerer is able to guess every number and order correctly within a limited number of rounds. And thus, the number of rounds the broadcast had determined would be the limit was……

“3 rounds……”

The eldest senior brooded. Everyone in this room was currently a member of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. As a form of amusement while offshore in areas without any reception, analog games such as this are enjoyed to a degree. And based off of those experiences, 3 rounds was rather abnormal.

“Compared to a ‘normal’ game of Hit & Blow, that number is significantly low, isn’t it.”

“Right!? But Asagiri Gen is amazing cause he’s gotten them right every single time!!”

The buzzcut senior spoke with an assertion as if he was talking about himself. Ukyo however, could not find himself relating to his exuberant senior.

“But, this is a three person team.”

It seemed like the eldest senior was also thinking the same thing. To continue, Ukyo filled in the gaps from that statement.

“According to the rules we’ve listened to so far, by including the cards from the Ace to the King…… And also counting the joker, you get 14 cards. Then these cards are divided between the three people. …… What happens to the remaining two cards?”

“They will be revealed to the players…… who are Tsukasa’s team of three in this situation.”

“Huh, what the hell is that?” said the eldest senior, twisting his neck.

“Regardless, if it is determined that 14 cards will be dealt between three players, the Hits and Blows from one player can also be used as hints to guess the cards of the other players. I can see how this could be considered slightly easier compared to the normal one vs. one game.”

The eldest senior nodded without uttering any words. You could go so far as to say that if one person had all of their numbers accurately guessed, or none of their numbers accurately guessed, that information alone narrowed down the options. Of course, the moment you get caught in a sticky situation, the confusion was probably more overwhelming than that of a normal one vs. one game. It was hard to consider if overcoming that with 3 rounds was too much or too little. Ukyo could not make any judgment that far.

“...... And, where is the mental approach to this? If this is it, then it’s just your average numbers game……”

Ukyo quickly changed the topic. The buzzcut senior, who was unable to make any counter arguments against Ukyo and the eldest senior’s previous concerns, jumped onto this new topic like a fish desperate for water.

“The answerer gets to ask the players a whole bunch of questions. Like, ‘What is your highest number?’ or ‘The card furthest right is 8 right?’. And the players have to answer no matter what. Even if that’s just a lie.”

(A judgment of compulsion.......)

Ukyo began to ponder again. The players are forced to give a reaction to the questions no matter what. There will probably be situations where the players will need to lie.

Particularly, when you are up against a man with the title, ‘Mentalist’.

“So, basically, Asagiri Gen sees through to the truth according to their reactions.”

“I see.”

The eldest senior nodded. This was where the leftover cards from the previous conversation came into play. He recognized the meaning behind it. If you could trick Gen into thinking that the cards you threw away were still in your hands, then you were guaranteed to win.

“And for the final important rule! If all of the players lose to the master, as a punishment, the player who holds the Joker will have a secret footage of them broadcasted live!”

That information meant little to Ukyo. He felt bad for thinking that when his television loving senior was in the room, but he never had any interest in gossip involving famous people.

(However……)

The person who has the potential of getting their secret revealed would probably struggle to remain composed. Especially if that secret would supposedly reveal a vital privacy of their life.

A close up shot of Shishio Tsukasa appeared on the screen, staring down at the table where his chosen four cards were placed.

~~~

“Oh, Tsukasa-cha~n.”

While heading towards the studio to start the recording, Tsukasa was stopped by a slimy voice. When he turned to see who it was, he realized that it was the director of the ‘MenBato’. If he remembered correctly, the person next to the director was a lady who he had met during a previous appointment involving this broadcast. Possibly someone along the lines of the station’s announcer or talent agent.

“So? Are you not nervous~?”

“No……”

“Mufufu. Well you are in high demand right now. As a talent you’ll be able to make it very very far~.”

“I see……”

Lightly lowering his head, Tsukasa turned his feet towards the studio. No matter what, he had no intention of continuing this oleaginous conversation.

“Oh, and also……”

The director’s voice reached Tsukasa’s back while he was trying to walk away.

“The VTR that was brought up earlier, it's perfectly ready to go~. We were able to make a very. Emotionally. Heart. Wrenching. Video.”

Tsukasa’s feet stopped.

“From thriller and suspense, to a tear jerking scene! Ah, this is truly what you call the peak of entertainment~.”

“What is this about?”

The announcer cajoled for an explanation.

“It’s about the video that gets broadcasted when the player lo-ses. And you see, Tsukasa’s little sister is……”

“Excuse me. I do not think this conversation is appropriate here.”

Tsukasa's tone definitely came off as well-composed. It did not come off as anything close to an intentional chide. However, the director could feel every hair on their body stand after hearing that response. The impact of Tsukasa’s words felt no different than being crushed by violence.

Sensing danger surrounding their body, the director fell into silence, their eyes chasing after Tsukasa who's back grew farther away. It seemed like his back was rejecting all sorts of things, it simply coming off as him not wanting anyone to bring up these subjects.

“...... What’s it about? The VTR.”

The woman cautiously asked after Tsukasa disappeared from their sight. The director wiped their sweat off with a handkerchief and shook their neck.

“Well, it has to do with something very dear to Tsukasa-chan. It was rather amateur of me to bring it up here, so let’s save our excitement for the real show.”

“But if Asagiri Gen loses then we won’t be able to see it.”

A mischievous giggle spilled out of her mouth. The director responded with a malicious expression.

“Mufufu. There’s no way that pure boy has a chance in beating Gen-chan. Rather than ‘Gen-chan’, but more like ‘our broadcasting station’.”

~~~

^Mirai translates to future as well. When the “^” is added, these are the situations where the katakana is used, representing both her and the future.

Shishio Tsukasa has a little sister. Her name is Shishio Mirai. It was easy to assume that she was given that name in hope for her good future^, but the opportunity to confirm that was long gone in the past.

‘Clinically Brain Dead’

In the end, those were only words and the life and death of his little sister was to be determined by an individual's decision and value of the situation, for “she has no chance of regaining consciousness”. And like it was the most indisputable option, Tsukasa chose ‘life’. He prayed for the future^.

For his little sister who could not live without any medical machinery, Tsukasa scrapped for money. Fortifying himself, he gained the title of ‘The Strongest High School Primate’.

To raise his popularity, he even started appearing on variety programs.

Only torment was brought by all of this. Tsukasa disliked money to begin with. To be more specific, he despised both the adults who worked under the philosophy of taking all and the ‘real world’ that played into that game.

It all started when adults had kicked Tsukasa down for his small wish and brought him despair in the past. That is why the weak him, more than anybody, wanted to vanquish the strong and help the weak. Thus he built himself up with violence to not give them the opportunity to take that away, and threw himself into that game of competition over the resource called money in the irony of it all.

For six years he continued. When 18 year old Tsukasa looked back at himself, he recognized that it was a long struggle. But to continue supporting the future^ of his little sister, he was going to have to put at least multiple times more effort this time, compared to the past.

That was when the offer for this job came up. In the beginning, Tsukasa did not take kindly to the suggestion of using his little sister as a display. However, once his situation was brought to the public eye, he would receive sympathy from the public, and supposedly an increase in job offers. With his name becoming more well known, there was a chance that it could result in a cure for Mirai. With that explanation from his manager and the recruiter from the broadcast, Tsukasa caved in.

He was mostly selling his body for this broadcast. It was similar to the way adults leaned their way into young people and took advantage of their personality and body. Actually, he may have been committing the same offense. If you considered his reasons, he was presenting Mirai as an offering.

Young people have nothing. That is why they sacrifice themselves for survival. However, he wondered if one would start stealing from the weaker once they had gained enough power. By watching adults get caught in their vested interest, he could only believe that that was the case.

People grow weak. He would not be able to continue winning fights forever. Popularity will decrease. Offers from television programs will also stop coming. Then, will there come a time where he too will start taking from the weak?

Tsukasa could not say that he did not think that from time to time.

~~~

“Oh? Did you pull a good card, Tsukasa-chan?”

Gen’s voice pulled Tsukasa’s conscience back to reality. There were four cards in Tsukasa’s hand. That’s right. This is the studio, and the broadcast had already started. It seemed that the participants to his side had already taken their cards.

Tsukasa did not give any response and turned on his heel to walk away. The competition had already started. There was no need to give Gen any information. Moving towards the seat he was assigned, Tsukasa began thinking.

What about Gen. What about this black and white man who seemed to have fully integrated himself into the world of adults. Even though his age was close to Tsukasa’s, as if pitting them against each other, Gen was a young man who he stood in conflict with. He put Gen into his shoes.

Gen would probably take. That is how Tsukasa saw it. To start, Gen’s efforts and skills are utilized to take advantage of people. That is why he is no different to those who shutdown the opposition of the younger. If that is so, then there was no way Tsukasa would accept losing.

That’s right. What it all came down to was not losing.

That pride was Tsukasa’s pillar of support. Because this broadcast was labeled as a ‘competition’, Tsukasa had accepted the job. He had devoted himself to the world of fighting with martial arts, so he concluded that he was to owe his wins and loses on this stage to Mirai^ as well.

When Tsukasa got to his seat, he pulled out the four cards that he had placed into his pocket, and laid them out on the square table.  
4, 10, King. And lastly……

Half of the Joker gave an unsettling smile towards Tsukasa.

~~~

“Aren’t these commercials long?”

The eldest senior said in a voice of honest bewilderment. The television loving senior gave an expression that said, ‘that’s normal’.

“This program was sponsored by the following……”

The senior let out a voice of anticipation at that moment before the screen returned to showing commercials.

“Aren’t these too frequent?”

The eldest senior was beginning to lose enthusiasm. Ukyo felt the same boredom in his heart.

“We will now begin the first round.”

It was finally starting. The moment Shishio Tsukasa showed up on the screen, the boredom on the eldest senior's face disappeared as he too got carried away by the excitement.

On the left side of the screen was where Tsukasa’s three player team was, each with their own chair and table. On the top of their table was a card holder where their four cards were placed, their uniform backs showing. With this, even if the camera neared the players, only the people present in the studio could see what the cards were.

On the right side of the screen was where the audience sat. Unfortunately, the eye catching face of Gen was not here, but considering how this was labeled as serious competition, there was no way that the audience could have been placed behind the players.

And so, Gen sat right in front of the players. He was cockily staring at the players who were placed around him in a fan shaped curve for optimal observation. He only had a seat prepared but with his arms and feet crossed, the spotlight shining down, and his expensive looking shoes gleaming to show off his grand appearance, it, without a doubt, made him look like the master.

“Well then……”

The one who got the show going was Gen.

“In theory this game would start by simply guessing [1 2 3 4] you know~. But I only have three chances, so there’s no time dilly dallying around and plus, if I did that, it’ll become boring for television~. So to begin-”

Gen aimed a sharp gaze at Tsukasa’s face.

“Tsukasa-chan, you have a King don’t you.”

Gasps sounded from the audience. The buzzcut senior raised his excited voice to say, “Don’t suddenly attack him like that-”

(This is a lot more troublesome than I was expecting.)

This thought buried itself deep into Ukyo as he watched. As long as the ‘silence will not be prohibited’ rule is enforced, the players must respond to each and every single question, despite any obvious attempts to ensnare. Being observed by Gen the entire time was one thing, but being questioned numerous times about your card, brings up the risk of finding a hole in somebody’s logic. Beyond this being the nature of this game, any lies must be calculated according to the player’s numbers and order of their cards, so, if one was not paying close attention, it was likely that they would not be able to keep up with the events that follow.

“Answering them all honestly, is also impossible.”

The eldest senior mumbled to himself. Being honest just because you assumed that Gen did not know anything, would lead to the end of the game if he saw through your relief.

Whether if it was holding Gen off until you were able to answer, or changing your expressions, ‘acting’ was a necessity. And all of that, without a question, was the Mentalist’s field of expertise.

(Well then, how will ‘The Strongest High School Primate answer…...)

“I don’t have it.”

The eldest senior let out a breath of relief. He was probably feeling reassured. After all, that was an impressive Poker Face, which is both the basics as well as hidden skill in this social psychological battle. Rather than creating a reaction that could fall apart, it was better to remain emotionless.

Gen, who had been continuously gazing at Tsukasa’s expression, dramatically shrugged his shoulders.

“Even though I set up a trap, you won’t even falter one bit~. Despite being young you are quite impressive, aren’t you, Tsukasa-chan.”

A caption with, ‘፠ says this guy who’s only 19’ appeared on the screen. The buzzcut senior gave a cackle while Ukyo and the eldest senior kept their poker faces.

“Hey Tamashiro-chan. Do you think every fighter is like this?”

Gen suddenly directed the conversation towards Tamashiro. Tamashiro, who was the eldest in the player group, reacted calmly despite the surprise attack.

“Don’t know if it’s exclusive, but don’t-cha think we naturally end up doing that? I often find myself observing the pitcher’s movements or the batter’s habits, ya know. Even between a one on one fight, once you catch the other’s habits, won't you then realize that it’s a necessary skill to be able to hide your own?”  
Whether this person was naturally a talker, the response was smooth and collected, despite it coming off as a bit chatty. It was easy to wonder if Gen was trying to see through Tamashiro’s habits through this idle chat with sparkling eyes.

“With those points, someone who is an individual player may suck at recognizing that. Wait, that reminds me of the track and field athlete next to me……”  
When a surprised Tamashiro looked over to Adachi, the studio bursted out laughing. Suddenly put on the spot, Adachi scratched his short hair while mumbling, “Are you kidding me~.”

“I see~. Should I ask Adachi-chan the next question then? Adachi-chan, can you tell me the number of your card farthest right?”

“Uh, um…....”

Adachi’s eyes were swimming.

“Which is right?”

The laughter from the studio roared even louder.

“The side you hold your chopsticks~. But don’t worry. You were just asking ‘from whose perspective’. It’s the right from Adachi-chan’s perspective.”

“It’s, uh, 8!!”

Adachi responded in a panic. The studio erupted in excitement, but Ukyo, who was gazing through that response like it was clear liquid, kept a stern face.

“Ukyo, what do you think?”

The eldest senior blinked his eyes at Ukyo like he was trying to confirm something.

“Yes. I know where he slipped up as well. Of course, it is hard to reveal the number of the leftover card.”

“Yes, I do suppose.”

“Huh? What do you mean Ukyo?”

The buzzcut senior was the only one who could not follow the conversation between the two. Ukyo began to explain.

“As a result of a lot of things that had happened prior, Adachi's answer had been said in a state of anxiety. It seems like he was unprepared when he was suddenly put in a place where he needed to make a response. Normally, you would not want to reveal one of your four cards, but there is a number that will come to your head first. And that is……”

“A card in your hand.”

“I see. The numbers of the leftover cards is something that the other players are also aware of, so it is easy to utilize when lying……”

“But because that is the case, it is harder to utilize. This is a team competition. You could say that the leftover cards are a secret between all three. If you slip and reveal that number, and then have that be recognized as a lie, it will end up revealing confidential information to the opponent, and cause problems for the other players.”

“If you put it that way then it makes you not want to say it at all……”

“The safest option would be to say a number that the other players have but……”

“I wonder, did he even have the composure to think that.”

The correct answer was that he most likely did not. That is the conclusion Ukyo came to at least. It was one thing if he had been keeping his composure, but it was impossible to think Adachi was thinking straight when he was as shaken as he was. To start, if he was quick to get back onto his feet, then he would not have been shaken by an attack like that.

In conclusion, with just this interaction, Adachi had left many fingerprints. The fact that it was unlikely that [8] was the leftover card. The fact that it likely was a number in Adachi’s hand. And lastly, it was unlikely to be a card on his farthest right. Of course this was all just a theory. But the master had no hints in the beginning of the game. You could consider this as priceless information.

“If this is the situation, then you could argue that the rule about the leftover cards is in the favor of the master.”  
In essence, the burden was beginning to pile on for the players. As long as nobody was revealing unnecessary information, or other people were not slipping up and saying a number that was not theirs, or not getting upset.....

“I see.”

All focus turned to Ukyo when he suddenly let out a remark.

“I figured out another advantage the master has. When the master is having a single player answer his question, he can observe the other two players as well. So even if your trap fails, and the number is in the hands of another player, that player may have some sort of a reaction. With a single question the master is able to collect three times the information……”

“You’re really getting into this Ukyo.”

The eldest senior teased Ukyo with a rare smirk on his face. Ukyo fixed his posture that was leaning forward with a red face.

“But you know, wouldn’t you be able to do something similar to that as well?”

The buzzcut senior said to Ukyo who had gone silent.

“You’re the ‘Sharpest Ears in the history of the JMSDF’ right? Wouldn’t you be able to tell what people were thinking by listening to the breath and sound of their voice?”

“You want to test it, squad 1.5?" (1)

“No, not really……”

To be honest, it was not impossible.

However, the extent of his abilities only covered as much as being able to hear the awkward fluctuations of a voice. For example, even if the pitch of a person’s voice rose a bit, there was no way he could assess what emotions were the cause of it. It was confirmed that Ukyo did have sharp hearing, but it was not an invincible skill.

The desire to try however, was prevalent. The broadcast had just become interesting. Ukyo focused on the sounds that came out of the television more than before.

The game had several back and forths after that, and it seemed like the first round was coming to an end. “Then, for the last question,” Gen said while turning to face Tamashiro.

“The number second to the left. I wonder if I want you to tell me what it is.”

“......King. It’s 13.”

A number was pushed out of Tamashiro’s mouth. After hearing that, Gen thought for a moment before letting out a voice.

“Hmmn~......?”

(Huh?)

Ukyo’s ears and head picked up on ‘two’ discrepancies from that response.

“I wonder if that’s really true.”

The eldest senior let out an accusation. The [King] was the first card Gen had pinned Tsukasa for, which was rejected. For Tamashiro to bring that up one more time this far in the round, felt nothing more than an effort to stir up chaos.

If you considered Ukyo’s previous explanation, when the [King] was brought up at the very beginning, Gen was done observing the players other than Tsukasa. If Gen had predicted at that time that Tamashiro and Adachi did not have the [King] on them then…… Tamashiro’s answer would mean nothing more than a missed attack.

Ukyo took this as the reason why the eldest senior made that response. However, in this moment, his mind was caught up in thoughts other than the eldest senior’s speculation. The case in question was about the voice that Gen had let out.

That ‘Hmmn~’ was said in a tone that Ukyo had not heard of until now. Asagiri Gen, from Ukyo’s perspective, was a person who had a good grasp of the art of conversation. He was a person who had probably done plenty of research on how to make his voice sound soothing to both one’s ears and heart.

But none of that consideration was present in that response. To Ukyo, it unbelievably came off as, ‘a voice Gen was not expecting others to hear’? Maybe that was a voice that came from the true Gen. Then……

(Then…… What.)

There was one more thing that was making Ukyo uneasy, more than just his ‘ears’. His whole body was not sure what it was.

During the time Ukyo was investigating that uneasiness, the first round had ended. As the answerer, Gen said his guesses. Both the guesses and the Hit & Blow results came up on the left side of the screen,

Shishio Tsukasa: [6 Joker 3 King] ➝ ◯2  
Tamashiro Kurou: [Jack Queen 7 2] ➝ △1  
Adachi Souta: [Ace 5 8 9] ➝ ◯2 △1

“Hey hey hey hey,”

The buzzcut senior let out a voice of pure excitement that came from the bottom of his heart. Ukyo stared at the screen with a startled expression.

“This…… Is the result of the first round?”

It was too accurate. Adachi, who was leaking information throughout the game, was basically naked. Shishio Tsukasa already has ◯2. This team competition…… Using 14 cards between three people was clearly more dangerous than the normal one vs. one Hit & Blow game.

The only hope in this situation was Tamashiro’s △1. If this had been an all miss, the numbers used in the guess towards Tamashiro could be dispersed amongst the other players, and by bringing in numbers outside of Tamashiro’s set, could have placed the players in a highly advantageous spot. If it was not for that, there was the horrible chance that with Gen’s insight this would have all ended with the second round. You could say that with just that one number that was barely grazed, the players are still able to hold their ground.

“See, amazing right!! It’s cause it’s Asagiri Gen!”

The buzzcut senior pounded Ukyo’s shoulder. While thinking, (that hurts), Ukyo’s attention returned to figuring out the reason for the lingering uneasiness.

~~~

…… This is something that Ukyo and the seniors who were watching through the television broadcast would not know. At the MenBato studio, up until the point where Gen made his predictions, was a part of the real show. After that, guesses are checked in with the player’s cards, and while the staff bring together the results, there is a small break for all of the performers.

Tamshiro had already left the studio at that time. Adachi was fiddling around with what could be assumed to be his phone, under the table. Shishio Tsukasa had stayed immoble in his seat.

Asagiri Gen was laughing, talking, and doing fan service with the fans that were behind him. By the time it was announced that the recording would be starting soon and as everyone returned to their place, Gen, while returning to his seat, absentmindedly murmured to himself in a low voice.

“D-cha~n. Can you actually believe that this is happening?”

~~~

Round two. Shishio Tsukasa was thinking about something the entire time he was silently seated. Something, just something. That discomfort that he had felt during the first round, the reason behind it. He was thinking of this all while maintaining his poker face.

“Well then, since your first time participating ended with the last round, I expect that you guys understand how this game plays.”

The person who got the show going for the second round was none other than Gen again.

“Starting from the second round, it’s going to become more exhilarating~. …… What does that mean? Well.”

Gen placed his sight straight at Tamashiro.

“Tamashiro-chan. That previous △ (blow), what number was it? I wonder, was it the Jack?”

It was a straightforward attack. For a master who was beyond familiar with the game of Hit & Blow, it was obvious that Gen was using this as a way to plant anxiety rather than as a guess to figure out the number.

Even Tsukasa expected this much. However, without a second of hesitation, Tamashiro flashed an upset expression as if this was unexpected.

“It’s no good if you don’t answer properly~. Jack?” “Nope.”

“Queen?” “......Nope.”

“.......... Then 7?” “Nope.”

“Then it’s 2.” “Nope.”

After the round of questions, Gen smiled like he was having fun.

“No good if you only give me the same response Tamashiro-chan. After all it makes it easier for me to deduce ‘which is the lie’~. If I was someone with diculous-ray hearing, then it would have ended with me hearing the lie. But well.”  
Gen re-crossed his legs.

“Even without any hearing abilities, I just know. It was 2. That’s the number that I Blowed.”  
Tamashiro’s poker face was crumbling.

“Tamashiro-chan, you were pretty quick to answer Jack, but when came the Queen you decided to, ‘continue denying’, didn’t you. I could tell with the way you clenched your fists.

And after I asked you the last two numbers, your face said, ‘I’m safe’. The tension in your shoulders just slipped right out. Or I guess you could say the opposite, that you didn’t relax your shoulders until the very end. That’s because the last number is really important. See? Even with this, I am called the Mentalist.”

Tsukasa, without even checking Tamashiro to confirm his reaction, kept his face straight. There was no purpose in focusing on Gen’s words. As long as Gen was being argumentative, whether that guess was accurate, or if it was wrong, it held no meaning right here. What was vital was to protect your number. There was no need to be conscientious about the way you clench your fists or stiffen your shoulders. If anything, if you get taken in by one’s smooth talk, being unable to get your head around your numbers when talking was probably the most detrimental.

However the uneasiness still remained. Whatever he had felt during the first round, Tsukasa was sensing it once again during this round of questions.  
When the attack towards Tamashiro was over, Gen moved his target over to Adachi. If he was actually correct about his suspicion of the Blow being [2], by the course of nature, the other numbers would be in the possession of someone else other than Tamashiro.

“To be honest, I’ve already confirmed over half of the cards in your deck Adachi-chan. I knew just by your eyes that the third from the left is [8], and I had verified the [9] in the previous round. So the thing I want to ask is between 5 and the Ace, which one is in your hands.”

Once again Gen re-crossed his legs. Adachi’s face twisted in trepidation beyond what he had expressed during the first round, after Gen’s assertive question as well as being the one with the most cards exposed.

“...... I see, the farthest right, it’s 5.”

There was no point in holding together a poker face. Adachi's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

(Making him feel anxious by asking two questions, starting this conversation assertively as if he had already been reading his heart, and forcing a reaction out of Adachi…… Yes, they are on totally different levels.)

Tsukasa came to this analysis behind his iron mask. Without a doubt, all of Adachi’s cards were exposed. It was time to figure out where the Ace was between Tsukasa and Tamashiro. This game would only be fun for those who can actually keep up and have a chance to win.

“Well then, Tsukasa-chan……”

As if he was a child saving the best for last, Gen turned his attention to Tsukasa. Actually, the person who was challenging someone was Tsukasa, the player. Because, in this game called ‘MenBato’, Asagiri Gen was, without a doubt, the ultimate ‘Master’.

“Tsukasa-chan, you really don’t honestly seem to be the type that I can directly attack and capture…… Out of the people who I’ve gone up against, you’ve given me the least responses. Don’t you think you have the talent to become a gambler?”

Gen tried to appeal to Tsukasa with flattery but he remained unaffected. It was probably to prepare himself for the upcoming attack. Wondering what backhand approach was coming his way, Tsukasa readied himself with his immovable heart.

“But are you really fine with that? Will you be able to keep up that cheerful face if your secret VTR footage is revealed……?”

Gen’s eyes and mouth contorted.

“Isn’t ‘that girl’, something Tsukasa-chan would like us to stay quiet about?”

The studio buzzed as if they knew what the content of the VTR was about. The people there felt intrigue as well as something, like the guilt of peaking into forbidden content that was never meant to be touched.

An awkward silence surrounded the studio. In the center of that attention, Tsukasa opened his mouth.

“I don’t mind. Yes, to the point that I would like it to be shown to as many people as possible.”

It was a brilliant response. It was so straightforward and resolute, that it was hard to believe that it had come from an 18 year old teenager. A sigh of relief naturally escaped from the studio after hearing these respectable words that could inspire one to improve themselves.

“...... mazing-ay, eriously-say.”

Gen quickly gave up observing and leaned back. No matter whose perspective you looked from, this was the gesture of someone who had lost, and while calling this a local war, it was obvious that this undefeated magician was currently being forced to eat dirt.

(D-chan, you told me that if I said this then he would definitely crumble but, unfortunately not~.)

Gen thought while staring up at the ceiling. To be honest, this was the first time he was up against someone who was this hard to read.

(Well, who cares. The studio is getting pretty lively and…… Tsukasa-chan’s ‘that girl’ is definitely a girlfriend right? If she is in a secret VTR footage, then she must be a mega celebrity! Tsukasa-chan also said, ‘to the point I would like it to be shown to as many people as possible,’ so it must mean that it will become a diculous-ri scoop, right? I shouldn’t lose this chance huh~.)

Gen fixed his posture. Behind his hand, a fearless smile appeared on his face. The Gen fans in the audience let out a shrill cheer. All of this, from the leaning back, to the recovery, was of course, part of the drama. It was a performance from a man who was willing to sell his soul to the devil if it meant to trick people.

(Well, to begin with, the word ‘lose’ doesn’t exist in this broadcast’s script.)  
While appealing to his surroundings by planting the doubt of whether this was the extent of his abilities, Gen, once again, put forth all of his focus to the senses of his feet.

~~~

Something, something.

Even as the second round was coming to a close, Saionnji Ukyo could still not grasp the truth of the uneasiness.

The uneasiness his ears had picked up continued throughout the second round. During the first confrontation between Gen and Tamashiro, the voice’s pitch did change. During the highlight with Shishio Tsukasa, other than sensing that Gen’s praise was genuine, Ukyo did not feel anything.

There was one more source of his uneasiness. When Ukyo thought about it, it was something that he had been feeling throughout the entire battle. He was completely blind from it in the beginning, but as he continued to listen, an accusation of there being ‘something’ was beginning to thicken.

(Just what is it……)

“Why are there so many deliberate pauses fishing for attention in these broadcasts?”

The eldest senior, next to Ukyo who was deep in thought, said curiously.

“Well, rather than saying that is to be expected, Asagiri Gen actually isn’t the type to stay silent for a long time. He is much more talkative outside of this broadcast, and when he was the moderator of the quiz show in the past……”

Another exposition from the television-loving senior had started. This was normally something that did not raise any interest for Ukyo, but, as if he had dived into water, he was hit with a sudden realization.

(I see now!!)

“Senpai! Do you have a deck of cards!?”

The senior stared back with round eyes after hearing Ukyo’s outburst. While rummaging for his deck of cards, the senior said, “Don’t you think you’re getting too into this?”

“What are you going to do with that?”

“I will be reenacting everything that has happened up until now. With these cards.”

The senior let out a voice of disbelief. The eldest senior said, “Are you serious?” while looking over to watch Ukyo set up the cards at a rapid pace.

“This guy, he isn’t just about his ears.”

The eldest senior said that while he watched Ukyo with reliance.

That something that Ukyo had been picking up on, was the delay in Gen’s reaction. It was something that occurred in between his conversations with the players, similar to a lag caused by a bad connection. To people who were used to watching television, the deliberate pauses to build anticipation probably came off as the moderator’s peculiar style. However, there was an obvious pattern in this delay.

The fact was that this never happened when Gen was engaged in idle conversations. On the contrary, it would only happen ‘when Gen would question the player what the number of their card was’. To top it off, the lag was different every time. This was the source of the uneasiness.

(I was right……)

The conversations up until now, the present cards, the supposed order. Putting everything together, while he was setting up the cards, Ukyo had developed a single theory.

‘The high the player’s card is, the longer Gen’s delay is.’

It was a simple story as long as you got to this point. Even an elementary school child could guess what was happening.

(Asagiri Gen is receiving a number from somewhere……?)

It was not directly by ear, but a more primitive signal. For example, figuring out the card by the number of times something vibrates.

Is this a fake battle? No, if that were the case, they would not be doing something that was this much of a pain in the ass. If the players were being played to begin with, then this broadcast was just full of tricks. If that was the case, then this was a one sided scheme.

Ukyo watched the participants with pitiful eyes. If this was really a one sided scheme, then the players were walking on a road of certain defeat, the biggest victim in that situation being, without a doubt, the player holding the joker.

~~~

(Hm, yes, getting information from somewhere.)

At the end of the second round, Shishio Tsukasa also recognized the possibility of Gen cheating.

Unlike Ukyo, who was watching through a television broadcast, Shishio Tsukasa was in a fortunate position. He could plainly observe his opponent Gen from his seat. Tsukasa had noticed the lag when Gen was responding, and when he started suspecting his opponent’s injustice, he suddenly had noticed other unnatural things.

Gen always had his legs crossed when he was sitting, but when he would question the players about a number, his right foot was always on the ground. He had switched his feet numerous times, but the previous observation was factual.

(His shoes…… The number on the card, placement, and yes and no answers, that can be communicated……)

If you had considered the existence of the lag, then a vibration from the shoe was the source of the cheat. Gen’s question would be the trigger, and supposedly, a vibration would be sent to the shoe.

If this was the case, you could communicate any number from Ace to King (if you include the Joker, which would be 14) and when asked, ‘I wonder where Tsukasa-chan’s King is?’ the placement would be communicated by the number of vibrations. Communication was possible by vibrating once for YES and twice for NO for questions like, ‘Is the leftover card a Queen?’

The order of the card was something only the players were aware of, so while it may be harder to communicate any of that information, the card holders were something the broadcast had prepared beforehand. There was a possibility of that also being rigged.

(Well then…… What am I going to do.)

Shishio Tsukasa: [Queen Joker 4 King] ➝ ◯3  
Tamashiro Kurou: [6 3 2 Ace] ➝ ◯1 △2  
Adachi Souta: [5 Jack 8 9] ➝ ◯3

After looking at the results of the second round, Tsukasa could only think that this situation was an unavoidable fate.

~~~

There was a long break after the end of the second round. Tsukasa, who had left his seat, was in deep thought.

If his assumptions were correct, the possibility of winning was zero. And if that was the case, Tsukasa will have to reveal Mirai to the entire country as he was the one who held the Joker. It was one thing if that was the result of a fair, honest fight, but to lose because the opponent was cheating, and then be forced to use his little sister as an offering, did not sit well with him.

“Hm, what’s wrong Tsukasa-kun. You’ve got a heavy expression on your face.”

The person who had spoken to the contemplating Tsukasa was Tamashiro, who happened to be passing by.

“Well, about today’s game……”

After hearing Tsukasa’s words, Tamashiro let out a hearty laugh.

“Aahaha!! How the odds are not in our favor? Don’t worry too much ‘bout it!! ‘Specially after how blue Adachi’s face had become. Nothin’ we can do ‘bout it. Can’t win no matter what, so let’s at least enjoy it!”

As he was the player with the least revealed cards, Tamashiro did not seem to be stressed in the least. Or did that relief come from the fact that he did not have the Joker.

No……

‘Can’t win no matter what’?

“Tamashiro-san, were you aware?”

Tsukasa quietly asked the older man.

“...... ‘Bout what?”

“The cheating.”

“Huh, wait, what cheating?”

Adachi looked over to Tsukasa as if he had said the unthinkable. Tamashiro on the other hand, did not seem to flinch at the vicious words that had left Tsukasa’s mouth.

“You’re saying that this broadcast is cheating? Tsukasa-kun, were ya thinkin’ that during the recording? Really now~”

“I’m not saying this as a joke.”

Tamashiro glanced around. Not a person was in sight.

“Tsukasa-kun.”

Tamashiro let out a heavy sigh. That action came off like an ‘adult’, similar to a parent who was going to admonish a defiant child.

“You’re famous.”

Adachi opened his mouth wide.

“Heard it from my baseball mates and confirmed it during the broadcast meeting. But ya know, what ‘bout it?”

Rather than his words sounding angry or trying to admonish, it came off like he was talking to a pampered child who had no perception of the real world, while sitting on his high horse.

“This is what television is like right? It’s just a show and, even if they’re cheatin’ nobody is really losing...... Oh, that’s right, you’ve got the Joker huh. You should still be fine. Even though they call it a secret VTR footage, that’s just an exaggeration. It’s not like it’s anything important, right?”

Tsukasa’s temper shot up. Tamashiro, who had sensed this, quickly turned around.

“Tamashiro-san, it’s almost time for the recording. Where are you going?”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Is it to have a smoke.”

Tamashiro’s foot stopped at Tsukasa’s words. The smell of cigarettes was always drifting around this Pro Athlete ever since they had met.

“...... That and cologne.”

The adult disappeared. Tsukasa let out a sigh. Standing straight with tension next to him was Adachi, who looked unwell.

“About this, should we tell the broadcast staff?”

Adachi greatly shook his head. If he had said it with words, it probably would have came off as overly defensive.

“T-this isn’t about Tamashiro-san but, isn’t it alright to lie if it’s TV? As long as the audience is having fun. I know that it’s not ideal for you Tsukasa-kun. And……”

Adachi swallowed loudly.

“I'm already 25. I’m called ‘The feet with God’s speed’, but my race times are rising. I gotta think about what to do once I retire. So I really can’t do anything that will cause problems cause I’ll be depending on it for my livelihood. I just think that it’s about time that I finally become an adult.”

Adachi turned towards the studio after saying that. Tsukasa continued to watch his back.

…… That’s right. There are only ‘adults’ here. Adults who would not hesitate to steal from others, as long as they could protect themselves. Tsukasa stood alone in the hallway, finding it hard to breathe.

“Um, Tsukasa-kun.”

Adachi had returned for some reason. His shoulders were quivering from the growing fear that something was going to continue happening.

“What is the matter.”

Tsukasa asked sincerely, despite his previous state of despair. That was how visible Adachi’s plight was, and this was coming from the person who has the Joker.

“If you had been able to realize that they were cheating, I couldn’t help but think that you had noticed……”

“Noticed what?”

Nothing came to Tsukasa off of the top of his head.

“If you don’t know then it’s fine. Later.”

Adachi once again left. Delayed, Tsukasa also headed towards the studio.

(Just what was he talking about?)

Tsukasa had no idea. None. Both about the breakthrough concerning the present situation, as well as the reason for Adachi’s haggardness. Despite all of that, he still had to go to the stage of the battle because of Tsukasa’s pride of being a fighter.

~~~

“Ah, stop right there!!”

A woman’s voice pulled Tsukasa back to reality. When he stopped and looked, he noticed that, for some reason, a section of the hallway was dyed yellow. It seemed like some sort of paint had been spewed across the hall.

“That was a close one-. It didn’t get on your suit, did it!?”

The woman who had spoken looked over Tsukasa. Luckily, Tsukasa had stopped one step away from the yellow paint, so there was no damage to the suit he received from the broadcast.

(...... Hm, let’s calm down.)

Tsukasa was startled about how he did not even notice the abnormal state of the hallway because he was so absorbed in his thoughts. His lack of focus would be unbelievable if this was a fight. If he continued on with this state of mind, then he would lose even to things he should not be losing against. Tsukasa refocused himself.

This is a battle. That was something he understood from the start. It was clear that he had become too familiar with having battle for the sake of a performance, with how he fell into a state of thoughtless-ness just because of a slight violation. The respectable battle that was protected by rules and a square shaped ring that he was often surrounded by, had softened his core.

Tsukasa also has experience in the world of street fighting where weapons, projectile, and group attacks were all welcomed. He could feel that tingling sensation return to his skin once again. To use anything within reach, to do whatever he needed to do to make sure that he would win against this broadcast that was like a representation of society’s exploitations of the weak, filled to the brim with evil intent.

Tsukasa did not see himself as an adult. He also does not wish to become an adult. Adults are existances that have accepted the world with empty eyes, desperately licking the scum of that dirt. They are beings that fully depend on the structures of society, only thinking about their own satisfaction.

Tsukasa was a person who climbs. Carrying his little sister Mirai, he would climb anywhere. As long as he was living in this society, in this world that was like a rock prison, Tsukasa was the lion(2) who would continue to challenge the world alone, climbing through the fog.

~~~

However, just because he felt that way, did not mean that the situation would turn for the better.

“I wonder what Tsukasa-chan’s card farthest left is?”

“...... It’s an Ace.”

The final round had started. And his last card, [10], had definitely been revealed. What was necessary to win in this game was not some grand determination. It was not unwavering trust either. It was only emotionless logic, and to walk on that road of logic to an effective opportunity.

He was still too far away to reach that. He was not even sure if it existed. Regardless, under the poker face that was becoming harder to maintain, Tsukasa was forcing his brain to think. At this moment, they were accelerating towards the planned ending. Adachi’s cards were all revealed. One of the leftover cards [Queen] was already exposed, which was a given. The opponent in this situation could obviously see through everything with the God’s eye that he held.

Gen was once again targeting Tamashiro. Tsukasa did not remember what number attack this was.

From anyone’s perspective, this was an inescapable battle. Going up against an opponent who was cheating, and standing next to players who continue to play despite acknowledging the cheating. What meaning was there for the two to be conversing. Tamashiro’s cards too, that should already have been leaked……

(...... Huh?)

Something had, once again, got caught in Tsukasa’s thoughts. It was like a small footing on the side of an abrupt cliff, of something terrifying that could flip the entire game around.

Tsukasa recalled everything that he was aware of from the start, up until now. To begin with, Gen was cheating. This was confirmed with Tamashiro’s response as well. Tsukasa was not sure how they were cheating, but Gen had to be, at least, aware about each player’s cards and their placement.

Then, then why was Gen going so far as to persistently stick to Tamashiro?

At the end of the second round, Tamashiro’s Hit & Blow was [◯1 △2]. Is it because Tamashiro is the least revealed, thus Gen is trying to figure out his cards? That was without a doubt. However, why was he still trying to figure out Tamashiro’s cards?

Was it a problem over the broadcast’s run time or usable footage? They probably did not mind the idea of tormenting the players to stretch the show until the end of the third round. If that was the case however, as the third round had started, as someone who has the talent to become a gambler, and was able to stand up against that targeted attack during the second round, Tsukasa should have been the one getting questioned.

Gen had been rearranging the numbers that he had guessed in the first round by confirming Tamashiro’s blow at the start of the second round. If the cheating was real, Gen should have already known the order of Tamashiro’s cards at that time. The lag was also present during one of those interrogations, so there was no doubt that Gen was receiving a transmission.

(...... But)

Tsukasa rewound his thought process. To begin with, why did the first round end with [△1]? Gen did ask Tamashiro in the first round.

“The number second to the left. Wonder if I want you to tell me.”

Gen’s guess after the first round was [Jack Queen 7 2]. And the result was [△1]. The supposedly grazed number was [2], which meant that Gen had missed the number second to the left.

The uneasiness that Tsukasa recognized after some time, was the same uneasiness Saionji Ukyo’s ears first caught.

It was over the unexpected ‘Hmmn~’ that Gen had said. Ukyo’s ears concluded that maybe, ‘that was a voice that came from the true Gen’. The information that Ukyo had obtained had no way of reaching Tsukasa of the past. However, in his very own way, Tsukasa was able to uncover the situation and figure out the truth.

(There’s no way the machine in the receiving end is defective. At least according to my memories, when his right foot is on the ground, the information is communicated. If that is the case, then the only reason I can think of is……)

Tsukasa set his eyes on one conclusion.

(...... Yes. He didn’t believe in the number.)

Gen did not believe in the number that had been communicated. Why? For what reason?

“If you’d been able to realize that they were cheating, I couldn’t help but think that you may have noticed……”

When he had remembered the words he heard Adachi say in the hallway, Tsukasa acknowledged his chance of winning.

“Asagiri Gen.”

The studio went silent. It seemed that this was unexpected to even the broadcast staff, who fixed the camera to face Shishio Tsukasa in a panic. It was unprecedented even within an unimaginable scenario, for a player to speak towards the Master in this game.

Joy was not visible on Tsukasa’s face. No matter how hard you searched, there was only a poker face. This was the first day Asagiri Gen had acknowledged how cold one’s eyes could become when looking at an enemy. The Mentalist had no prediction on what Tsukasa was going to say.

“What’s wrong Tsukasa-chan? Have you gotten lonely because I keep fussing over Tamashiro-chan?”

Tsukasa would not be swayed by Gen’s words that seemed to be blindly searching. Instead, Tsukasa made an attack with the sword he held in his hand.  
“I have it. The Ace. Yes. The Ace of……”

The studio exploded. Everyone knew that this was a bluff. An unexpected attack from Shishio Tsukasa, right when the third round was coming to an end. A mental battle he challenged against the Mentalist.

In the beginning, Asagiri Gen acknowledged that as well. That poker face was just a final struggle in vain. The possibility that the Ace was in Tsukasa’s hand was still present. It was impressive when he immediately responded with that card after Gen’s last question but……

“The Ace of ……”

Tsukasa’s mouth had moved without a doubt. However, any noise was practically inaudible. It was likely that nobody was able to catch what he had said. Nothing probably got communicated, unless you were someone with excellent hearing, or someone like Gen, who was able to read lips.

“Ah……”

When Gen understood those words, he let out a voice with a straight face. Forgetting the television recording, putting aside the existence of the cameras that surrounded them, Gen let the puzzle of his thoughts occupy his head. And when the completed puzzle crumbled, resolving the thing that was troubling his mind, was when he recognized his defeat and let out a loud laugh.

~~~

“The Ace of Hearts……”

Ukyo was not positive if that was what was said. However, with Ukyo’s exceptional ears, he could not perceive that faint breath to have said anything else.

(That reminds me, they were using a deck of cards.)

Ukyo looked at his bed where the cards he had quickly set up were. Since they were using a deck of cards, they would all have a suit. However, only someone present in the studio would be able to know what suit the player’s cards were.

There was no way possible that Ukyo could have known that before the recording, Gen had shown off a magic trick to Tsukasa and the others, as well as that the card Tsukasa had chosen was ‘The Ace of Hearts’.

In any case, the third rounds results came up.

Shishio Tsukasa: [Ace Joker 4 King] ➝ ◯3  
Tamashiro Kurou: [6 10 2 3] ➝ ◯2 △1  
Adachi Shouta: [5 7 8 9] ➝ ◯4

After 24 battles that Gen had proudly claimed victory by correctly guessing every card, he had lost up against Tsukasa and the other players. The broadcast was forced to welcome this unprecedented conclusion that could be, more or less, considered as a build up of a special episode.

“To be honest~, I got totally taken away by Tsukasa’s bluff at the end~. No matter how many times I observed him, it just didn’t seem like he was lying. Tsukasa-chan, don't you think you have the knack to become a liar?”

The studio and the buzzcut senior laughed at the words that came off like Gen was venting his frustrations (it was acting of course). Ukyo, who was unable to figure out the truth in the end, began cleaning up his cards.

“He was impressive, Shishio Tsukasa.”

Even though this conclusion left several questions unanswered, even the eldest senior seemed quite satisfied.

“He’s one of the strongest, has a handsome face, and can stand ground in a mental battle. Seriously, it’s so unfair.”

“Ukyo. If you were up against that boy, what would you do?”

Ukyo looked up at the senior who had suddenly thrown that question at him. His senior’s face was serious.

“...... I probably would not stand a chance alone. If I at least had gunpowder…… or companions.”

“You should well prepare yourself for any danger. Becoming stronger is for the purpose of protecting someone.”

It seemed that to this senior, Tsukasa was a figure deserving great respect as well as someone who had the potential to become anyone’s worst enemy. It was a complicated thought that came from the senior’s heart.

Tsukasa was someone who had achieved a mountain of KO’s just by kicking, and was forced to only participate in fights where attacks using legs were banned. Ukyo, who was nothing more than a sonar man, felt that instead of becoming the opponent of such a person, he would prefer to forgive and forget to move on……

(...... I should at least properly continue my archery practice. Though I can’t imagine being in such a primitive situation.)

On the television, Gen, who was the loser of this game, was going through his punishment. Ukyo gave a sidelong glance at the buzzcut senior who was excitedly watching, before he raised his guard again.

~~~

“Yes, I’m sorry about that. It was a problem caused by the equipment…… Will probably be some time before it is working again. Yes, yes. I will have them proceed with preparing for the body cutting magic trick, yes, sorry about that.”

After the end of the third round, a desperate voice could be heard spilling out from a room close to the studio. The lights had been dimmed, with many of the broadcast’s small and large equipment scattered here and there, it seemed to be a storage room.

As soon as the phone call that felt like someone begging on one’s knees ended, the lights suddenly turned on.

“Is this another one of your magic? Asagiri Gen.”

Still in his suit, Tsukasa stood at the entrance of the room. In his line of sight, the person squinting because of the sudden brightness, was Asagiri Gen.

“...... AD-chan’s voice acting? This is a skill. I’ve shown it off several times on television~. And, is there something you want?”

“I think you also want something?”

“But I’m the one wiping AD-chan’s butt? Plus, this got a lot messier than I was expecting. It’s just easier if I did all of the numbers and organizing myself. Oh, and.”

A deck of cards that Tsukasa could only assume appeared out of thin air, was in Gen’s hand.

“You need to properly return what’s been borrowed.”

“You’re correct. Yes, I think so too.”

A single card was pulled out of Tsukasa’s pocket.

“Tsukasa-chan, that card, do you want me to guess it? It’s a 9…… Of Diamonds ♪”

Of course, thought Tsukasa as he threw the card. Well trained hands caught the card with ease before Gen nostalgically rubbed the surface.

“You know~, I didn’t think all of this would happen because of the magic trick I had shown Adachi-chan.”

“Why did you use a broadcast’s deck of cards to begin with.”

“I told you. I had changed so I didn’t have any of the usual stuff with me, so I figured I’d borrow one from here…… And now we’re here~.”

Gen purposefully hit his head.

“From the very beginning, it was all my fault ♪”

Tsukasa, without even sparing a laugh, watched Gen who shrugged his shoulders.

“This card is actually quite expensive you know? It has the same set up as the cards in arcades where the numbers can be read and…… Doubt Tsukasa-chan understands any of this though. You seem to be the type that plays fighting games rather than card games.”

To begin with, Tsukasa did not go to arcades. But putting that aside, Tsukasa continued to listen.

“Despite it’s high price, it is expendable so…… You know how something can break if it is used too often? Of course the broadcast won’t use cards that are damaged, so they have spares like these prepared.”

“And you had used that spare for your magic. Adachi, who had forgotten to return the card, left it in his pocket and, yes, in the end it got mixed up with the real cards at the start of the battle……”

“Thus the cover up over the increase in cards…… Is what happened. Really~ I was startled in the beginning. Tamashiro-chan, no matter how many times I recounted, was supposed to have the [9]~. ‘Can you really believe this is happening’.”

“It seems like Adachi realized that at the end of the first round. He had glanced down to see that he had dropped a card, but on the holder there were already 4 cards. Probably felt like the whole world was crumbling around him.”

“So that’s why he was all that blue and shaky~. He basically couldn’t say anything and let the game continue. Other than the leftover cards, even the broadcast staff can’t see the cards the players have~. As long as they plug in a number into the touch panel in accordance to my questions, the communication is done by the program. So the staff didn’t realize the situation. There was no way that I would’ve gotten all of the numbers correctly. The cheating would have been obvious because of the overlapping card. So that’s why……”

“Yes, that’s right. The one who won this battle is me…... Is what I want to say but.”

Tsukasa’s eyes narrowed.

“Gen, if it was you, you could have been able to flip the victory no matter what. Yes. Even just a moment ago, you were diligently working behind the scenes. Why did you accept defeat?”

“Is that how you think of me~, my principle is to be fair and square~. I would never do such a thing~.”

Tsukasa looked at Gen with an expression that said, “stop lying.”

“...... Well, did you notice? During the recording, I didn’t ask about Tsukasa-chan’s Joker. I didn’t want to cheat against Tsukasa-chan at least.”

“During the recording, only. When I was walking over to my seat you asked me, ‘Did you pull a good card.’ ‘Good card’ is referring to the Joker right? Also, as soon as I placed the cards, the holder read and communicated to you about the number and order.”

“Aah~...... So you were aware of it all.”

“Yes. You tried to figure out my cards [4 times].”

“[3 times]. And that’s eal-re.”

Gen raised a fearless laugh. Tsukasa did not think Gen looked like he was lying.

“It seems like, you didn’t realize that~”

Gen raised his right foot to show Tsukasa. The shoes sharply reflected the light from the room.

“The way it shines, it’s different……. Did you by chance change your shoes in the middle of the recording?”

“That’s right ♪. There was an unfortunate accident~.”

From when? One memory came up in Tsukasa’s head, of the incident immediately after the second round. The hallway soaked in yellow. And in that yellow was a single footprint.

Gen’s efforts in the third round were not a result from cheating. Regardless of whether he had obtained information previously, this really was not a man to make light of.

“See? I really did want to play the game without cheating. After seeing how hard Tsukasa-chan was working, my heart was moved~.”

Tsukasa looked over at Gen with a face that said, “there’s no way that is true.” Gen raised his hands as if he had given up.

“It was a chance to enjoy the game without cheating and, in the middle, I had realized that I didn’t mind if I lost. Though I am curious about Tsukasa-chan’s lover……”

“Lover?”

Tsukasa’s eyes widened.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I won’t say anything insensitive. But don’t you think losing also has it’s benefits? It gives the feeling of a special episode and if they call Tsukasa-chan over again then they can label it as a, ‘Revenge Special!!’~. ….. Isn’t that enough for you?”

It seemed like Tsukasa was finally satisfied, and with that, Gen shook his head as if he was saying, “good grief.”

“Well then, I still have a lot of things I need to do. As a punishment for losing, I’ll have to do the body cutting magic trick~. It’s hard work preparing for that you know~.”

Gen walked by Tsukasa, stopping after he passed the shoulder of someone who would not turn to meet him.

“Oh, that’s right Tsukasa-chan.”

“What is it?” answered Tsukasa without turning around.

“The party, do you want to come? It’s shi-su at Za-Gin.”

“I’m not going.”

“You’re lo-nely. You don’t have any friends right?”

“Yes, I don’t. I’m by myself.”

Excluding Mirai who continues to sleep. Tsukasa finally turned around to look at Gen.

…… Tsukasa looked at Gen with a face that said, “Aren’t you the same.”

Gen laughed as if he was trying to dissuade Tsukasa, before answering.

“Tsukasa-chan, the reason why I realized that I was fine with losing, is because Tsukasa-chan just looked that desperate. It looked like you were crying because you didn’t want to lose. That, is also the truth.”

After leaving those words behind, this time, the Magician really did go.

As Tsukasa turned off the lights in the room, he let out a deep sigh in the darkness.

‘This, is also the truth’. It was truly a sentence that could be interpreted in many ways. Asagiri Gen was a person who would not hesitate to deceive others. By utilizing the correct timing to make his words stand out, and by using words that were satisfying to the ears……

(No……)

Tsukasa shook his head as if he was shaking off the darkness. That might be the case, but that might also not be the case. Was he actually able to predict what would happen at the end of the broadcast, or was he actually being compassionate towards Tsukasa. There was no way of knowing the truth. For in this world, there are many things that cannot be perfectly categorized as black or white.

If that was the case, then Gen would not make an act that could come off as taking a step into the fog of suspicion.

(Asagiri, Gen) (3)

This black and white man who Tsukasa still did not have the confidence to say that he understood. An extraordinary trickster that can come and go between this world’s black and white. He had made it to where he is now in a completely different way compared to Tsukasa, and despite being polar opposites from one another, it was believable that Gen too was a person who shared loneliness with Tsukasa.

There was no way that Tsukasa would ever be able to forget him.

~~~

…… This is a really, really unimaginable story, but after a couple months, humanity was turned to stone.

Civilization was destroyed, and after a couple thousand years, Shishio Tsukasa had awakened to a world that was reclaimed by nature. After a series of twists and turns, he found himself in the situation of becoming enemies with the boy who had revived him.

That boy was somebody who he got along with. However, as Tsukasa was someone who despised the possibility of reviving the dirty world, there was no way they could come to an agreement. As a battle strategy, Tsukasa had revived Asagiri Gen, but Gen had betrayed Tsukasa and in the end allied with the boy.

Thus the three got jumbled together, and in the end, Tsukasa had lost. However, because of that, the two things Tsukasa thought he would never be able to have had been granted to him.

One was his little sister Mirai. The other was……

Mixed in with the sounds of the waterfall, a voice could be heard.

Despite his hazy mind, Tsukasa listened to the voice from afar. It seemed like they were either talking to themselves or desperately trying to talk to someone else.

Whatever Mario was about, whatever the mushrooms were about. Even if he was conscious, those words probably did not mean anything to him. To Tsukasa, who had grown up in poverty, video games were something out of his reach.

There was only one thing that he had that could be considered as entertainment. Just one picture book that was falling apart at the seams. His little sister Mirai loved that book so Tsukasa read it to her over and over again.

However, of all stories, ‘The Little Mermaid’ had a bad ending. Tsukasa, who did not want his little sister to feel sad, changed the ending so that it always ended with happiness.

The little mermaid will live happily ever after with the prince, forever and ever.

Tsukasa’s conscience returned when he heard two footsteps walking on dirt at the entrance of the cave.

Normally, he would have gotten up and prepared himself for possible action. However, having just regained his conscience, Tsukasa remembered everything that had happened up until this moment. After taking a spear to his stomach, he did not even have the energy to raise a single finger. Tsukasa was in critical condition.

However, he had no regrets for this wound was the result of protecting his little sister. He was able to give his little sister a future. And…… The battle that happened after that, was honestly fun.

Barely able to move his neck, what appeared in Tsukasa’s vision were two faint figures. A lovely little girl, and, from his appearance, an annoying black and white man. They were like the little mermaid and the evil magician.

“Oh, you woke up Tsukasa-chan? Good timing~.”

Asagiri Gen said in a tone so carefree that you would not have imagined that he was talking to a person who was gravely injured.

“Even though you’ll have to say, ‘see you later’, in a few moments, I don’t understand the point in not allowing family members to talk~. And with that being said, I brought Mirai-chan.”

Mirai was hiding in Gen’s shadow……. Tsukasa wondered if his appearance was that terrible, and the more Tsukasa worried over that, the worse the sadness filled her eyes.

“...... I’m surprised he gave you permission. It was supposed to be a ‘no visitors allowed’ policy.”

The voice that Tsukasa had squeezed out was so faint that it even surprised himself. No matter how you heard it, it was the voice of someone who was welcoming the last stage of his life.

“You know, with persuasion.”

Gen said with a beaming smile as he sat down. Gen’s negotiation skills were quite amazing, but it was hard to imagine that the child of science would bend to his will that easily. That boy, who only respected logical decisions, would not be whisked away by such light, smooth talk. Tsukasa’s interest rose.

“Just what tactics did you use?”

“Actually, I just asked him normally~. I said ‘please!’.”

At the very least, this answer startled Tsukasa. For that Asagiri Gen, to just ask. Without any aim for a profit, without using a single trick. Comfortably and amicably.

It was almost like, it was just a request between friends.

Tsukasa swallowed those words that got caught in his throat. Gen and that boy, despite their age, both like to exaggerate their nefarious personalities, so it was unlikely that they would have accepted Tsukasa’s straight forward observation.

Tsukasa gazed at Gen. The expression on his face looked radiant.

In that waiting room, from the first moment Tsukasa saw him, that face always seemed intangible, as if he was stuck in the mirror. But today, it was different. Just maybe, this was the face of the real Gen that Tsukasa never knew of.

“Well then, Mirai-chan. Are you ready? Tsukasa-chan will be frozen for a while, so you need to properly greet him.”

Gen kindly talked to the shaking girl who held onto his sleeve. With her mouth pressed into a straight line, Mirai took a step forward.

If Tsukasa recalled correctly, Mirai had witnessed his surgery. There was no doubt that that was too much for a girl who was mentally 6 years old.

“No need for an outsider like me to stay so~.”

While waving his hand, Gen cheerfully left…… Tsukasa had to hand it to the former talent. Gen had made sure to liven up the mood so it would not remain somber.

In the cave, only silence and the sound of the waterfall settled. Tsukasa’s chest rose up and down in shallow frequencies. Seeing her brother in such a painful state, Mirai opened her mouth as if she had finally decided on her words.

“Big brother……”

“Mirai……”

He would accept any words, no matter what. Tsukasa gathered the rest of his strength together.

“Big brother, are you alone!?”

Tsukasa’s strength was trampled by those words.

“You know, I talked to a lot of people. With Gen-kun. We talked to Taiju-kun, Yuzuriha-chan, Nikki-san, Ukyo-kun, Yo-kun. And…… Hyouga-san and Homura-san……”

Even those two…… What is up with this group of people.

“I noticed when I was listening to their stories that, it seems like all these people betrayed big brother~”

To his little sister’s words, Tsukasa felt an irony that should not have existed to begin with, because out of everyone, he had fully accepted the weight of that reality. His main forces all left to join the side of his enemy, which was the obvious downfall of Tsukasa’s Empire.

However, there was nothing that could have prevented this. Those who arrived at the Kingdom of Science had made their own decision.

To see a charming and bright future that they could put their faiths in.

“Big brother, do you not have any friends?”

Those words that Gen had once said reappeared before his eyes. Despite those words hitting him hard for it came from his very little sister, Tsukasa, who was in a critical condition, regained himself.

There was no time to worry about whether this might be his last conversation. Tsukasa just wanted her to know.

“Mirai, your big brother isn’t alone. Yes. I, am not alone.”

That he also had faith. Faith in him. In Ishigami Senkuu.

Faith that he will bring a future. A world where Tsukasa could live a gentle life together with Mirai.

~~~

As the hair that stands upwards fluttered in the wind, Ishigami Senkuu stood at the top of a cliff. He supposed that in the cave he was in not too long ago, the siblings were now face to face with one another. Since he did not harbor a single ounce of interest towards witnessing a tear jerking scene, the thought of sticking around did not bode well with him. However, he was more pissed at himself for withdrawing his no visitor policy.

"Sorry for making you wait~ Senkuu-chan."

The voice of the person that had cornered Senkuu in this situation came from behind.

"Not like I was waiting or anything"

"Sure, that’s given. What’s up? Are you still sulking?"

"Tsukasa is dangerously close to giving out right now. I can’t guarantee his life, yet….."

"I don’t think there is a need for Senkuu-chan to take up full responsibility for all of that though~"

Gen continued to watch Senkuu who spat out a dry laugh.

Senkuu has a committed, unwavering personality. To cryogenically freeze Tsukasa, who is at death’s door, just to buy time to reutilize the light that petrified humanity as instead, a treatment of recovery, was a gruelling road to success, full of travail. The only imaginable person who would undergo such a process was Senkuu.

However, because of that, it was likely that Senkuu was cornering himself with the responsibility of blame if this all fails. Which is why, despite being well aware of Tsukasa’s critical condition, Gen had Tsukasa and Mirai meet.

Even if it was just a little bit, it was to lessen the seed of guilt in the hypothetical that this did fail, as well as to make sure that Gen, himself, would have to become Senkuu’s accomplice to this failure.

That was what Gen was thinking. Thus, ‘what Gen was thinking’ could not slip past Senkuu. And Senkuu, who was reluctantly following Gen's desires, could only view himself as pathetic, hence why he could not help but be irritated at himself. How simple, yet complicated, yet exciting of a companion they are.

While spilling out a laugh different from what once was heard 3700 years ago, Gen patted Senkuu’s shoulders.

~~~

^Mirai translates to future as well. When the “^” is added, these are the situations where the katakana is used, representing both her and the future.

As his conscience sank into the cold fog, Tsukasa was cryogenically frozen. His fate resembled his little sister’s so much that you could claim that these siblings are cursed to have little luck.

However, it could also be thought in this way as well. If his little sister was safely able to arrive to the future, then her big brother will probably be able to recover as well, for it would be accomplished by the same hands of the boy who had rescued his little sister.

On top of the cliff that Senkuu had been standing on a couple hours ago, Mirai was sitting quietly. From that spot where she could see the horizon line, Mirai gazed at the sky and trees that were dyed in red.

“Oh, Mirai? What’s the matter?”

The little ‘modern’ girl named Suika called out to Mirai. Suika was a strange child who wore a watermelon on her head, but Mirai believed that she would get along fine with her.

“Yeah, hm. I was wondering what dream my big brother might be seeing……”

Mirai held her chest tighter as she remembered the sight of her big brother turning whiter and colder.

“Probably a dream about Mirai!”

Suika said in a bright voice to encourage Mirai.

“Mirai^…… He said that at the end.”

“What?”

“‘Become stronger’ ‘Trust Senkuu’...... ‘Let’s meet in the future^’.”

“Senkuu really is amazing you know!! He fixed Suika’s eyes and made a big car, so, it will be fine!!”

“Yes, I made a promise with my big brother, that I will become stronger…… But, Suika-chan.”

Mirai looked around.

“Where do you think the future^ is?”

“...... I don’t know but, if you sleep and wake up it’ll be tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow……”

Even tomorrow, Mirai would not be able to meet her big brother. Probably that next day as well. Mirai wondered how many times she would have to repeat that cycle before her big brother could laugh with her again.

The future^ did not reflect in those eyes as the scorching sun sank slower and duller than usual.

**Author's Note:**

> footnotes:  
> 1\. Submarine divisions are divided into 5 squads, each squad having further specific roles. People who work with sonars are a specific role given to those in squad 1, thus the 1.5 used to specify their particular job within the 1st squad.  
> 2\. Lion is 獅子(shishi), Tsukasa’s surname is 獅子王(Shishio)  
> 3\. 浅霧幻, Gen’s Kanji, is written here unlike the rest of the story and manga, where it was always あさきりゲン. The only other time 浅霧幻 is used when Gen and Senkuu promise to go to hell together.  
> Illustration from this chapter: https://twitter.com/Scandiacamoons/status/1275055032866533378?s=19
> 
> Thank you for reading, and don't forget to support the original creators buy buying the manga to show support!


End file.
